As
I progress through my musical career, I’ve found that many techniques learned
on one

instrument
were applicable to other instruments.As
I was earnestly trying to learn many

different
percussion instruments, and needed to keep up my chops on all of them, practice
time was at a premium!

Crosstraining is the answer to that situation.

Crosstraining in percussion means using a
rhythmic idea, or specific technique, and applying it to other instruments in
the percussion family. This helps a percussionist develop in many ways. For one
thing, when you start applying concepts that you are already familiar with to
other instruments, you’re approaching that new instrument from a position of
strength. You won’t necessarily have to learn a whole new musical language to
play some conga drums if you already have a good rhythmic background from
drumset. You merely start applying rhythms and grooves already familiar to you,
on the new instrument. You’ll get muchmore
in return than you might think!